Trendy – March

With the highest number of Facebook users in Central America and a Twitter pop­ulation growing by the thousands every month, social media can be a great place to find out what’s buzzing in Guatemala. Of course, there’s also a whole lot of non­sense posted online too, but at XelaWho we like nonsense so here are some of last month’s social media trends, with the interesting & the informative alongside the vacuous & the ludicrous.

Social media kicked off 2018 with a bang. Gone are the days of lazily grooming your MySpace account several times a week, nowadays Guate’s tuiteros are taking to the virtual streets at the drop of a hat (read: massive corruption scandal).

The big news from last month was for­mer-President Álvaro Colom and most of his former cabinet getting thrown in the slammer due to allegations of massive cor­ruption around Guate City’s TransUrbano public transport system.

Álvaro and his 9 other co-conspirators dolled up some nice tax-free kickbacks from 25-year contracts to overall the pub­lic transport system. As @RMendezRuiz laments that “I pray that the @CICICgt has the capacity to sort out this #CasoTransurbano.”

Thankfully, Álvaro won’t be sharing his cell with some lowly Kwikimart robbing schmo, he’s acutally been shacked up with Guatemala’s ex-Pres Otto Peréz “didn’t Stallone throw him out of a chopper” Moli­no. Despite, the crook presidents “pushing past being enemies and now being cell­mates @prensa_libre,” their staff deny any hankipanky and say that the presidents have exchanges “pocas expresiones” (few expressions).

“Wait, wait,” you say, “isn’t our current president facing claims of illicit campaign financing and illegally expelling a UN prosecutor!” Yep. Just Yep. SO that makes 3 presidents. Acutally that’s 4, as @RMendezRuis reminds us, “Javier Arzú Tincoo linked with the #CasoTransurbano, is the nephew of Álvaro Arzú former Guate President 1996-2000.

Well, at least the hastag #YoNoSoyImpunidad is getting some much needed material to stay trending eh “@justiciagt: No más pactos entre corruptos (no more pacts between corrupt politicians).”

On a lighter note, it was Valentine’s Day in Feb so Guate’s tuiteros took to the airwaves to declare their love. Carlos Paredes @ cparedes_eu, Guatemalan sports journal­ist, sports ambassador, and Guatemalan national football team devotee put a spin on it with #_DíadelCariño: “Amor es irle a este equipo ante quien sea, donde sea y sea como sea. Y para SIEMPRE” (love is to go with this team against whoever, wherever and whatever will be will be. Forever!).

Onya Carlos, I bet the Mrs. appreciated that one. We here at Xelawho like a little Valen­tine’s day lovin’ too, even if late – we accept donations in the form of cash, check, or one of the better flavors of Ranchitas chips.